Truth & Consequences
by MissScorp
Summary: "Why?" She asked him. Well, that just wasn't an answer that Steve Rogers could easily give her. Post-Infinity War. Told in 100 word increments. Inspired by the 2019 WA Drabble Challenge.
1. One

"Why?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "Just tell me that, Captain Rogers. Why?"

It was the one answer he could not readily give her.

Not because he didn't know it.

He did.

He knew why half the world's population disappeared in the blink of the eye.

How could he not know? He was there when it happened.

He saw it.

Heard it.

The sound would haunt him until the end of time.

_Snap_!

Families, friends, and partners all ripped apart.

Snap!

Thousands upon thousands of lives ruined.

"Captain Rogers?"

"Well, ma'am," he said finally. "You can blame me."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all and welcome! Getting legal outta the way, I own nothing here but my general idea. Everything else belongs to Stan Lee (RIP), Marvel or those fools running Disney.

This is set after Infinity War and explores how the snap might have affected DC characters.

I am doing this in 100 word drabbles because of inspiration from the WA Drabble challenge that says "write 10 to perhaps 20 vignettes (short, distinct scenes) of exactly 100 words each that tell an overall cohesive story. Each vignette drabble in sequence should set a specific scene and have a change in character perspective, event, or location so someone doesn't just take a 1,000 word story and break it into 10 equal parts."

Please, if you like this story, follow/fav it!


	2. Two

Him saying that what happened was his fault had not been one of the answers she anticipated when she decided to approach him for answers. She fully expected Captain Rogers to say that it was some megalomaniac he and the Avengers were fighting that caused the sudden drop in population.

"Your fault?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She shook her head, more from disbelief than denial.

"I think you need to start from the beginning, Captain Rogers," she said. "Because your statement makes absolutely no sense. How are you responsible for what happened?"

"You see, ma'am, there was a man, Thanos, and he..."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!

I want to thank spnfandom8 and Rookblonkorules for their lovely reviews! And the guest who said I need to pump up my numbers... never fear. Twenty is just the base number ;)

Please, if you like this piece, follow/favorite it!


	3. Three

_Snap_!

The sound ricocheted through Steve Roger's mind. Bucky dropped his assault rifle before disappearing in a dust cloud right before his eyes. Steve stumbled to where he fell and dropped to one knee. He placed a hand on where Bucky's body should have been.

_Nothing_.

Nothing but rich, damp earth. He looked up at Thor and read the awful truth in his eyes.

Failed.

They failed.

_My fault_, he realized as his breath came in tattered gasps. _This is all my fault._

People were going to pay the ultimate price for his failure.

For his pride.

For his ego.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!

I want to thank spnfandom8 and Rookblonkorules for their lovely reviews!

Please, if you like this piece, follow/favorite it!


	4. Four

T'challa

Wanda and Vision

Little Groot

Sam

Bucky

Gone.

Just... gone.

_How many Avengers did we lose_? he wondered as he stared down at Vision's broken body. _How many of them turned to dust_?

How many people paid for his pride? For his stubbornness? For his refusal to bridge the separation between he and Stark?

This wouldn't have happened if the Avengers had all been together. They would have stopped Thanos from snapping his fingers if they were all working together rather than apart.

_Snap_!

And they were gone.

Just... _gone_.

And he only had himself to blame for it.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	5. Five

Her heart broke as Steve talked about watching his friends turn to dust. It was a moment they shared. Only, instead of friends, it was her family. One minute, her and Dick had been putting their son, John, to bed. The next he was gone.

Just... _gone_.

Panicked, she yelled, "Bruce! Bruce, come quick! Something's happened to Dick!"

The billionaire came racing into the room, Alfred two steps behind him.

"What is it?" His eyes swept the room. "Where's Dick?"

Before she could tell him, however, Bruce, himself, started fading to dust.

A second later, he was gone.

Just… _gone_.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	6. Six

Steve found out who else was lost once everyone was back together at Avenger headquarters.

Heimdall and Loki

Shuri

Drax, Gamora, Quill, Mantis

Strange

Nick Fury and Maria Hill

The Black Order

Hank Pym

Janet and Hope Van Dyne

All turned to dust because he couldn't figure out how to bring them together as a team.

All gone because Steve sacrificed them for his ego and pride.

He spent the next week watching every news report that aired. They all featured someone who lost someone.

_'They just disappeared'_ replaced '_Just Do It' _as the most overused phrase in the world.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	7. Seven

As he listed off the names of the fallen, so did she. Only, she said the names to herself.

Bruce Wayne

James Gordon

Richard Grayson

Jason Todd

Tim Drake

Damian Wayne

After, she learned many others had perished in what seemed like a worldwide pandemic. With little choice, she donned her suit, and took to the streets of Gotham to help establish calm and order. She was joined in that endeavor by Catwoman and Batgirl. Even Ivy and Harley stepped up to help with calming the city.

People wanted answers, though.

And that eventually led her here to Captain Rogers.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	8. Eight

"That's why people turned to dust," Steve said. "Because I let my pride and ego convince me we could easily beat Thanos."

She remained quiet. _Absorbing what I told her_, he decided.

Then she surprised him by sitting forward in her chair.

"Okay, how do we fix this?"

"Fix it?" He shook his head. "Miss..."

"Mrs. Grayson," she supplied. "Raya Kean-Grayson."

"Well, Mrs. Grayson… there's no way to fix this."

"Captain Rogers, there are two things that I know right now." She sat back with a determined look on her face. "Batman's gone and I aim to get him back."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	9. Nine

Not just Batman was gone, Steve later found out. The snap also wiped out half of the Justice League, Young Justice, Teen Titans, and a group she called the Birds of Prey.

People who were her family, her partners, and her friends.

And she was beyond determined to see them brought back.

Steve admired her determination. Her dedication. Her belief that they could undo things.

Part of him wanted to believe they could bring everyone back, too.

He just knew there was no point in going down that particular road.

They were gone.

Period.

_And she needs to accept it._

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	10. Ten

Talon returned after the whispers reached him in Budapest. His reasoning was simple: he needed to make sure no member of the Court of Owls was alive to summon another Talon. _Not while the city is without her Dark Knight._

"Well, well," a voice purred from above. "Fenix had a feeling you would answer her request for help."

"Gotham needs what protection we can give."

The woman dropped down beside him. Nimble as a cat. Fitting, given her name.

"She will appreciate your help."

"Where is she?"

"Getting answers from the Avengers." Her sigh hung in the frigid air. "Hopefully."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	11. Eleven

"So," Barbara Gordon murmured thoughtfully as she stared at her cousin on the computer screen. "This Thanos is why Dad and everyone turned to dust?"

"_That's what Captain Rogers says, yes._"

"Can whatever he did be undone?"

"_According to Captain Rogers, no._"

"But?" Her lips quirked. "I smell a but here."

"_I think it can be undone_," Raya confirmed with a small sigh. "_That's why I need you to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D's databanks and learn all you can about this Thanos."_

Barbara's fingers danced across her keyboard. "Give me ten minutes and you will know everything there is to know."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	12. Twelve

"Raya Kean-Grayson?" One of Tony's eyebrows lifted. "As in Doctor Raya Kean-Grayson?"

"Yes." Steve frowned. "Do you know her?"

"I know _of_ her. Never had the pleasure of meeting her."

"Didn't she attend the Stark Expo where Hammer unveiled Vanko's armored drones?" Natasha turned from the window to look at him. "Yes, she was with Bruce Wayne."

Something clicked at that name.

"Wayne is financial backer of Batman Inc."

"No wonder she's so set on getting Batman back."

"Unless she has a time machine," he said as he pushed to his feet. "There's no getting him, any of them, back."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	13. Thirteen

"You and your Avengers created this situation, Mr. Stark." Her tone could have melted ice. "I expect your full cooperation in correcting it."

"Just being all kinds of stubborn here, Mrs. Grayson."

"My husband says I get it from Batman." Her arms folded across her chest and her feet spread apart. A battle stance. "Good for you but terrible for the bad guys."

"Oh?" One brow lifted. "And why's that good for us?"

"Because I will not stop until I bring everyone back," she said. "That's what Batman will expect. So, tell me what you need to fix this mess."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	14. Fourteen

"Do you think she knows a way to fix things?"

"How could she?" Steve folded his arms across his chest. "She had no idea about what happened until I told her."

"She's got people she can call on to help," Natasha pointed out. "We could take the fight to Thanos if we aligned with them."

"Bring the fight to Thanos..." Stark chuckled darkly. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time we took the fight to him?"

No, Steve had not forgotten what happened the last time they took the fight to Thanos.

_Snap_!

And everyone was gone.

Just… _gone_.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	15. Fifteen

They met in the Hall of Justice. Wonder Woman waited until they were seated before starting the meeting.

"This man, Thanos." She called an image up on screen. "Used something called the Infinity Gauntlet to snap people out of existence."

"Has she found a way to reverse it?" Cyborg frowned as he studied the man. "Can we bring them back?"

"She's meeting with the remaining Avengers as we speak," she said. "We will know if there's a way or not soon."

"We will wait for her report." Martian Manhunter leaned back in his chair. "And then decide how to proceed."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	16. Sixteen

"You got a way to travel back in time? Because that's the only way to fix this."

They had been arguing about this for over two weeks.

"Why, yes, I do, Mr. Stark." Her eyes gleamed behind her glasses. "I have someone who can time travel, in fact."

"Anybody else hiding any shocking and fantastic abilities?" Stark reclined in his chair. "Now's the time to speak up."

"Don't mock me or my friends, Mr. Stark. Not when you and yours allowed a megalomaniac to erase half the population."

As far as points went?

Steve figured she was up by two.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	17. Seventeen

Flash stood there, gaping, for several seconds. He finally regained his composure long enough to ask Batgirl one, rather pertinent, question.

"You want me to do what?"

"Go back and stop Thanos from snapping his fingers."

He closed his eyes, more a long blink than anything else. Yet it bought him enough time to process what they were asking of him and form a coherent reply.

"You know the risks."

"Yes." Wonder Woman joined them. "But this is the only way to bring back all those we have lost."

Flash grimaced.

"I had a feeling you were gonna say that."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	18. Eighteen

"Fenix."

A chill went through her at the sight of those round, owl-shaped goggles staring at her from the shadows. Unlike the others who wore masks similar to his, Calvin was both a friend and an ally.

"Batgirl said you were in Gotham."

"I wanted to make sure Gotham was protected."

"I appreciate it."

"Has there been any progress on bringing Batman and the others back?"

"Flash is going to go back and prevent the snap from happening."

"And what will happen to this Thanos?"

"That's up to the Avengers."

He nodded, once.

And then blended back into the shadows.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	19. Nineteen

Tony liked the woman.

He really did.

He just thought she was bonkers.

"You want to send this Flash back to confront Thanos and do what?"

"Phase the Infinity Gauntlet off his hand."

"Your plan is clever." He leaned back in his char. "But it's doomed to fail."

"He does not expect you to have a man faster than the speed of light to help you."

As far as points went, Tony had to admit it was a pretty good one. Still…

"Don't give us hope."

"My name means hope." Her lips curved. "Or are you unaware I am Fenix?"

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	20. Twenty

He was gone in a... well, _flash_. One second the man in scarlet stood beside Mrs. Grayson. The next he was gone.

Just... _gone_.

Only, instead of fading into dust like Bucky and all the others, Flash simply disappeared.

"Is he...?" Banner looked around the room. "Did he...?"

"If you blink, you miss him."

She spoke lightly. However, there was a thin note of anxiety underscoring her tone. _Why shouldn't she be, nervous_? Steve thought as he drew in a breath; slowly released it. Everything resided on the next few seconds.

_If Flash fails... _

He refused to finish that thought.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	21. Twenty-One

_The element of surprise. That's what Fenix said is on our side against this Thanos. _

Flash believed her. More, he trusted her. Fenix never suggested a plan she believed would fail. She also never sent people recklessly to their deaths. She was like Batman in that she examined all angles and looked at every option before deciding on the best course of action. Plus, Wonder Woman supported this plan.

He exited the Speed Force and saw a man with a golden gauntlet facing off with the Thunder God, Thor.

_One Infinity Gauntlet_, he thought as he gathered himself, _coming up_.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	22. Twenty-Two

Steve frowned as he pulled a piece of paper from a pouch on his belt. _What's this_? he wondered as he turned the neatly folded paper over in his hand. _Why did I stick this in there_?

He shrugged and unfolded it to read it.

_Captain Rogers, _

_Meet me at Gotham Central Train Station. _

The date and time was for the week after. The note wasn't signed. _Gotham_? His brow puckered. Who did he know in Gotham?

_Well, there's only one way to find out_, he realized as he crumbled the paper up and tossed it. _Gotta go to Gotham._

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	23. Twenty-Three

The train pulled into Gotham Central. Steve exited the car and looked around the platform for whoever he was supposed to meet. Only a woman remained after the crowd dispersed.

"Captain Rogers," she said as she walked towards him. "I see you got my note."

"Do I know you, ma'am?"

"Not formally, no." She held out a hand. "I'm Raya Kean-Grayson."

The name sounded... _familiar_. Steve puzzled over it as he shook her hand.

"Why did you ask me to meet you?"

"I wanted a chance to thank you."

"Thank me?" Steve frowned. "Why?"

"Follow me, and I will explain."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	24. Twenty-Four

"I know you hate other heroes showing up in your city," Nightwing joked as he joined Batman. "She had your permission to ask Captain Rogers here."

A grunt was his only proof Batman heard him. Not that he needed it. The man beside him heard and saw _everything_.

"I should have guessed she would go to him to ask what happened," he said as he watched the two below. "She's always admired him."

"He's a man to admire."

"Cause he's a lot like you." A grin tugged at his lips. "Just not as cynical."

A sigh was Batman's response.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!


	25. Twenty-Five

"Seems to me we oughta be thanking you," Steve said as they walked along the street. "You found a way to fix things."

"It still took the Avengers to stop Thanos."

"We failed the first time because of the Infinity Gauntlet." They stopped to allow a car to pass. "Defeating him while he possessed that was impossible."

"Nothing's impossible, Captain Rogers." She took his arm. "Not so long as you believe there's a way."

"How can you be so confident?"

She looked up to where a light shined a bat-like symbol on the starless sky.

"Because I always have hope."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all, and goodbye! We've reached the end of this journey. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I know some people were unhappy with the short chapters but that was the point of the challenge.

I want to send a special thank you to all who followed, favorited, and reviewed. Your support was greatly appreciated. Take care, all!


End file.
